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Call to prioritise energy conservation

INNOVATIONS:Electricity Minister Aryadan Mohammed interacting with the students of P.K. High School, Palakkad on their solar home project, after inaugurating the Children’s Science Congress in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. —Photo: S. Mahinsha

The 21st National Children’s Science Congress (Kerala) organised by the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) began here on Tuesday with a call to prioritise energy conservation.

Inaugurating the two-day event, Electricity Minister Aryadan Mohammed said energy conservation needed to be higher on the State’s agenda than power generation.

He said that almost 50 per cent of the daily consumption of power in Kerala was being lost through carelessness on the part of consumers.

The Minister said that international agencies had projected India as the second largest energy consumer in the world by 2040.

He hoped the science projects presented by children at the Science Congress would enable Kerala to scale new heights in energy conservation and meet its growing need for power.

As many as 78 shortlisted projects are being presented at the congress on the theme ‘Energy: Exploration, Consumption and Conservation.’ More than 300 children from schools across the State are participating in the event.

Dr. Kokkal, who is coordinating the congress, said 16 projects would be selected for the National Children’s Science Congress to be held in Bhopal from December 27 to 31. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is scheduled to deliver the valedictory address on Wednesday.